BBT Charting and Insomnia

UrbanLe1

After 3 cycles of charting intercourse/menstruation/cm, and 1 cycle adding in OPKs and an OV watch, I'm starting my first cycle of charting this month.  Eek!  My question is mainly about timing, mostly to find out how you girls who are experienced handle a similar issue. 

I am a very light sleeper.  VERY light.  I wake up to everything, and always have--turning over, DH turning over, the dog jumping on the bed, a noise outside.  I probably wake up 6-8 times a night and go back to sleep.  Once a night I wake up and pee (usually because I realize there's no way I'm going back to bed without getting up).

Added to my own restlessness, DH is a surgical resident.  That means his pager goes off all night long, with calls to the hospital--I wake up every time.  He also wakes up much earlier than me (4:30/5), and although he's a saint and doesn't even turn on the lights, I always wake up.  I can doze through his shower, etc, but by the time he leaves around 6 I'm usually "awake"--I might stay in bed until our son wakes up at 7:30, but it's rarely for true sleep.  I usually get up and pee around 6, too.

Let's complicate matters even more with the fact that DH really, really, really does not want to see me taking my temp.  We have established a firm don't-ask-don't-tell policy for all business of TTC other than the baby dancing.  Leads to performance anxiety on his part.  He's a urologist--he thinks I'm nuts to be worried.  

So.  When do I temp?  Right now, my gut is telling me around 6 am, when I actually become most alert, before peeing.  That feels like my natural wake-up time.  Should I set an alarm?  Just grab the thermometer from under my pillow when I first find myself becoming conscious?

Any advice greatly appreciated!  I'm trying to get all of these mechanics down right way--don't want to waste a month of data because I'm doing something wrong! 

AGlaze

You want at least 3 hours of sleep prior and you do not want it to be after you have been up.  Go here for all the info: https://www.fertilityfriend.com/Faqs/

I've said before, I wanted nothing to do with temping but it has made me feel much more in control and less stressed. And my husband doesn't even notice that I take my temp. If he gets up at 4:30/5 and you have been asleep for about 3 hours, then take your temp once he leaves the room... would that work?

GL!

tortuga47

AGlaze:

You want at least 3 hours of sleep prior and you do not want it to be after you have been up.  Go here for all the info: https://www.fertilityfriend.com/Faqs/

I've said before, I wanted nothing to do with temping but it has made me feel much more in control and less stressed. And my husband doesn't even notice that I take my temp. If he gets up at 4:30/5 and you have been asleep for about 3 hours, then take your temp once he leaves the room... would that work?

GL!

I agree. This would be an ideal time to temp.

I'm a restless sleeper too, and I've found that unless I physically get out of bed, my temps don't fluctuate a lot. I rarely get more than an hour or two at a time. I've started using those foam ear plugs and it's helped a LOT to block out noise, our cat, traffic, etc. It's helped me sleep better. Good luck!

UrbanLe1

Thanks girls!  That will be my plan--grab the thermometer when DH gets out of bed (which is usually when I get woken up the most, because I see the slit of light coming out of the bathroom).

Sorry to hear you're a restless sleeper, too, Tortuga!  I've tried earplugs many times and it never works--a few good nights, and then crazy headaches.  Sigh. 

CDMay2006

Minus the pager, that's my situation, too (light sleeper,dh gets up very early, overnight peeing). I work late part of the week, too, so that throws off my schedule further. I find it usually works best if I set an alarm for 3.5 hr after going to bed. This way the time changes every night, but it's about the same place in my sleep cycle, and before most of the interruptions.